convict
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to prove or declare guilty of an offense, especially after a legal trial.
to convict a prisoner of a felony.
-
to impress with a sense of guilt.
noun
-
a person proved or declared guilty of an offense.
-
a person serving a prison sentence.
adjective
verb
noun
-
a person found guilty of an offence against the law, esp one who is sentenced to imprisonment
-
a person serving a prison sentence
adjective
Other Word Forms
- convictable adjective
- convictible adjective
- convictive adjective
- convictively adverb
- preconvict verb (used with object)
- reconvict verb (used with object)
- unconvicting adjective
- unconvictive adjective
Etymology
Origin of convict
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English verb convicten, from Latin convictus, past participle of convincere, equivalent to con- “with, together” + vic-, variant stem of vincere “to overcome” + -tus past participle suffix; Middle English noun convict “(a) convict,” adjective convict “convicted,” past participle of convicten “to convince” (or directly from Latin ); con-, convince
Explanation
A convict is a person who has been found guilty — convicted — of a crime and is serving a sentence in prison. When you convict (accent on the second syllable) someone of a crime, you find them guilty. The person is then a convict (accent on the first syllable). When the person is released from jail, he's an ex-con, that is, he's not a convict any more.
Vocabulary lists containing convict
13th Amendment (1865)
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"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 20–25
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Twelve Angry Men
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
There are signs that the charges won’t stick: A Georgia judge released Moore on a $1 bond on the murder charge because he was so unconvinced that a jury would convict her.
From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026
Cue the “Perry Mason” theme, except this jury voted to convict.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 21, 2026
It was their evidence in court that helped to convict him.
From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026
Yet in 2014 he helped to convict former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell for alleged corruption.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026
Michael Kammerer, a senior, played the reformed convict Jean Valjean, and he was among those in the cast who, at Volpe’s behest, had gone trash-picking for elements of the set.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
